Should I become an astronaut, a firefighter, or a system administrator? Author Unknown Are you at a career crossroads? Are you asking "Should I become an astronaut, a firefighter, or a system administrator?" Here is a handy comparison chart that may help you make your decision. PURPOSE OF YOUR CAREER Astronaut: Advancing scientific knowledge for the good of humanity. Firefighter: Saving lives and property. Sysadmin: Assuring uninterrupted access to alt.binaries.erotica.sheep. ADVICE YOU'LL GIVE KIDS WHO WANT TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS Astronaut: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables." Firefighter: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables." Sysadmin: "DON'T DO IT! RUN AWAY!" QUESTION YOU'LL BE MOST TIRED OF ANSWERING Astronaut: "Where do you go to the bathroom?" Firefighter: "Do you really slide down a pole when the alarm goes off?" Sysadmin: "Can't you do anything about all this spam I've been getting?" WILL YOU EVER BE ON TV? Astronaut: Yes! Firefighter: Occasionally. Sysadmin: Only MSNBC's "The Site," which doesn't technically count as TV. WILL YOUR JOB EVER GET ANY EASIER? Astronaut: As computers get more and more advanced and able to control more of the functions of the space vehicle, yes. Firefighter: As more and more people install smoke detectors in their homes, yes. Sysadmin: As more and more clueless newbies discover the Internet, absolutely not. INSPIRING MOVIE ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION Astronaut: "The Right Stuff" Firefighter: "Backdraft" Sysadmin: Uh... gee, I'm really drawing a blank here... "Wargames"? YOUR WORK HOURS Astronaut: Fairly long days during the mission, but lots and lots of time between missions to relax. Firefighter: 24-hour shifts, but 48 hours between shifts to relax. Sysadmin: Not really "work hours" or even "work days"... more like "work millenia." FRINGE BENEFITS OF YOUR JOB Astronaut: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex. Firefighter: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex. Sysadmin: You get ALL of the jokes in "Dilbert." NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION Astronaut: A few, from people who think the government should be spending its money in different ways. Firefighter: A few, from people who think you take too long to arrive following a 911 call. Sysadmin: You'll have to learn what comes after "trillion" to be able to count them all. YOUR VEHICLE Astronaut: Multimillion-dollar space vehicle atop multi million dollar rocket. Firefighter: Big red truck with flashing lights and siren. Sysadmin: 1978 AMC Gremlin. In conclusion, if the sysadmin option has seemed the most appealing in even one of these categories, you should become a sysadmin.